What
Sin A Name?Does
is seem odd to anyone that Western societies refer
to the Xtian deity as plain old "God"? It's
a ludicrously simple
appellation especially
for someone who supposedly wields supreme
power.

Even
Superman gets three syllables.

The ironic truth is that the word "god" has
pagan roots, coming as it does from the ancient Germanic
word for
"good". When the Bible was translated from
Hebrew and Greek they substituted freely using common
colloquial
language rather than stick with the original
Baal or El or YHWH or Fred or what-have-you.

In a sense, it was all about marketing.

The one-syllable version has its advantages as even
a baby can pronounce it. It probably doesn't hurt
that we reflexively call it out during sex, too. Think
how much Coca-Cola would pay for that kind
of advertising.

Oddest thing, though, is that God speaks in the megalomaniacal
third person and we think nothing of it. What would
have been so wrong with a little first-person prose,
especially in Genesis? You know, "I built the
light and it was most awesome, dude!"

This is, incidentally, a very simplistic overview of
the divine nomenclature regarding the Great Cosmic
Muppet. If you're interested you can go into deeper
detail
here.

------------

Speaking of marketing, it also explains Jesus. Consider
trying to sell the Old Testament to ancient peoples.
There's a whole lot of stick to that story but meager
carrot. The OT God was generally rancorous and liable
to do just about anything, much of which could ruin
your
whole
day.
Just ask the folks in Gomorrah.

It's clear that the religious powers-that-be needed
a sure-fire way to squeeze some shekels out of the
yokels, and what better way than the promise of eternal
paradise... for free! So they borrowed the idea of
virgin birth, as it had worked so often in the past,
and suddenly it's "All aboard the Soul Train!". Anyone
could get into Heaven with the right password. Just
be careful of the third act.

And the soft-sell continues as present-day portraits
of the Littlest Redeemer looks more like the guy who
dispenses Denver's medical marijuana than Osama bin
Laden.

NOTE: As a result of an unexpected wave of enthusiasm
the Republican
Job Creation update now has
its own web site. It will remain
on the RP but
a web site of its own will raise
its visibility on the 'net as
we progress towards the critical
2012 elections. And I thank you
for your support.

------------

Dump Fox News

And
what manner of lie is Fox News spewing
today? They're still trying to blame Barney Frank
for the housing
crisis.

Editor: "In the beginning Myron Schmecklestein created
the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without
form
and void;
And Myron Schmecklestein said, Let there be light:
and there was light. And Myron Schmecklestein saw the
light, that it was good. "